Case No. 1416Incitement to rape, endangerment, possession of child sexual abuse material · Co. Clare · 1 Nov 2020
Former garda Shane Flanagan pleads guilty to inciting men to rape female colleague after impersonating her online
Shane Flanagan, a 39-year-old former garda from Co Clare, impersonated a female colleague on a fetish website and Facebook between 2018 and 2020, sharing her address and photos to arrange for men to come to her home and rape her. His home was searched in January 2021 and devices were seized, and he was interviewed six times in February 2022. In 2025 he pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting two men to rape the woman, six counts of endangerment, and possession of four images of child sexual abuse material. A sentencing hearing took place on 30 June 2025.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Convicted30 Jun
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Flanagan impersonated the woman on a fetish website and Facebook, sharing her address and photos, to arrange for men to come to her home and rape her.
- Where
- The offences took place in Co Clare.
- When
- The impersonation spanned 2018 to 2020, and the incitement to rape occurred between November and December 2020.
- Investigation
- His home was searched on 17 January 2021 and a phone and laptop were seized; Garda National Cyber Crime Unit analysis found over 2,000 screenshots, 32 missing persons records, and 18 garda age identification documents.
- Hundreds of images of the woman, including 219 doctored ones, were found during the search, and the fetish website was accessed 4,089 times between October 2020 and mid-January 2021.
- Flanagan was interviewed six times in February 2022 and made admissions including ownership of the seized devices.
- Charges
- Flanagan pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting two men to rape the woman between November and December 2020.
- He pleaded guilty to six counts of endangerment for impersonating the woman in communications that invited persons unknown to visit violence upon her and two others between 2018 and 2020.
- He pleaded guilty to possession of four images of child sexual abuse material on 7 January 2021.
- In court
- A sentencing hearing took place on 30 June 2025.
- Other details
- The woman and Flanagan were friends with no romantic or sexual history between them, and Flanagan has no previous convictions.
- Flanagan apologised and described the impersonation as harmless roleplay, admitting he communicated with between 20 and 30 individuals while pretending to be the woman.
20 statements extracted from the articles
- whatFlanagan impersonated the woman on a fetish website and Facebook to arrange for men to come to her home and rape her. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatHe created the accounts using the woman's personal information, sharing her address and photos of her and her daughters. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe woman became aware of the impersonation in 2020 when a user of the fetish site contacted her on her genuine Facebook page. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatFlanagan created a false Facebook account in the name of 'Laura O'Riordan' using the woman's information. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatTwo users of the fetish website who interacted with Flanagan while he pretended to be the woman provided statements to gardaí. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatFlanagan incited the two men to break into the woman's house and rape her. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe men believed they were talking to a woman with a fetish for consensual non-consent (CNC). (irishmirror.ie)
- whatFlanagan shared the woman's address, a Google Street view of her home, and told users she was a single parent with two teenage daughters. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatSome of 12 users indicated they lived in Ireland or near the woman's address. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationHis home was searched on 17 January 2021 and a phone and laptop were seized. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGarda National Cyber Crime Unit analysis identified over 2,000 screenshots from Pulse, 32 records of missing persons and 18 images of garda age identification documents. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe fetish website was accessed 4,089 times between October 2020 and mid-January 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationHundreds of images of the woman, including 219 doctored ones, were found during the search. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationFlanagan was interviewed six times in February 2022 and made admissions including ownership of the devices. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeFlanagan pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting two men to rape the woman between November and December 2020. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeHe pleaded guilty to six counts of endangerment for impersonating the woman in communications that invited persons unknown to visit violence upon her and two others between 2018 and 2020. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeHe pleaded guilty to possession of four images of child sexual abuse material on 7 January 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe woman and Flanagan were friends with no romantic or sexual history between them. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherFlanagan has no previous convictions. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherFlanagan apologised and admitted communicating with between 20 and 30 individuals while pretending to be the woman, describing it as 'harmless roleplay'. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 30 Jun2025Garda impersonated colleague to incite men online to come to home and rape her
Guilty pleas and sentencing hearing details, including victim impact statement, investigation findings by Garda National Cyber Crime Unit, and defence submissions.
convicted, Shane Flanagan, 39, male, named, irish (judged from name)Shane Flanaganvictim, female